Janneth Martinez, a 5th-grade reading and language arts teacher at Bel Nafegar Sanchez Elementary, radiates innovation and motivation. In the face of pandemic-induced academic setbacks, she identified a common challenge among her 64 students – the issue of academic regression. Her classroom has a diverse tapestry of reading levels, ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade.

To counter this hurdle, Janneth has woven creative tools and monthly themes into her teaching approach to rekindle their excitement for learning and reading. Her own journey, marked by a less-than-pleasant 8th-grade experience, fuels her unwavering passion to inspire every student, regardless of their background, to embrace the joy of learning. With her guidance, curiosity flourishes, every student is encouraged to reach their fullest potential, and the love of reading finds its way back into their hearts, irrespective of their starting point on their educational path. Janneth's classroom is a place where the challenges of academic regression are met with the promise of growth, and where students, regardless of their reading level, find inspiration to learn and thrive.